Most people know that the situation in the Middle East between Palestinians and Israelis is a mess. As Americans, we are told a very particular version of the story, and I'm afraid we miss a great deal of what is happening on the ground. During our visit to Israel last spring, our group had the privilege of hearing from Christians, Muslims, and Jews, many of whom were native to Palestine/Israel. We heard passionate appeals from Israeli officials to continue to visit their land and boost tourism. The message we heard from Palestinians was different, with the cry being for justice. But the one thing that we heard from all: "Pray for peace in the Holy Land."

The image above was shot by Molly. I haven't forgotten it. I think of it often, actually. It is one of the more striking images from my visit to Israel. You can learn more about the graffiti art that adorns the walls in Bethlehem by doing a little web browsing. This NPR story is from 2007, but the webpage features a number of images we saw while in the city. This is an excellent example of protest art.